Thera 1.14: Sivaka
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(14):Sivaka (A Novice attending Monk Vanavaccha) Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =14. Sīvaka (A Novice attending Monk Vanavaccha.)= In this Buddha - era he was born as the son of Vanavaccha's sister. When his mother heard that her eldest brother Vanavaccha had left the world(for monkhood), had graduated in the Monk’s order, and was living in the forest, she said to her son: '-Dear Sīvaka, you should leave the world(for monkhood) under the Elder, and wait on him; the Elder is getting old now.' He, at this sole asking of his mother, and because of his previous aspirations, did so and, ministering to his uncle, lived in the forest. One day, when he had gone to the outskirts of the village on some 19 errand, he fell very ill. And when medicine did not cure him and he came not, the Elder, wondering at the reason, went and found him ill. Administering remedies and tending him the Elder, when dawn was near, said: 'Sīvaka, since the time when I left the world(for monkhood), I have not stayed in the village. Let us go hence into the forest.' Sivaka answered: 'Sir, even if my body stay now by the village, my heart is in the forest, for what reason though I lie here yet shall I go there.' Then the Elder took hold of his arm and led him to the forest teaching him. He, made firm by that teaching, won arahantsbip. Thereafter he uttered his saying(gatha), combining his Lord(Buddha)'s words and his own, expressing both his love of seclusion and his achievement, his obedience to his Lord(Buddha) and the winning of aññā(supreme attainment): ---- 14 Upajjhāyo maɱ avaca ito gacchāma sīvaka|| Gāme me vasati kāyo araññaɱ me gato mano|| Semānako pi gacchāmi natthi saŋgo vijānatan' ti.|| || ---- 14 The teacher spoke to me thus: 'Sīvaka, hence Let's go!'1 Here in the town my body lives; My thoughts are to the forest gone. So thus, Prostrated though I be, yet do I go. No bond is there for those who understand. ---- 1 The text gacchāimi, 'I go,' is in the Commentary gacchāma, 'let us go.' The latter accords with the story, and with Vanavaccha's active care for his pupil, and the latter's devotion. The Commentary compares the youth's swift response to that of a spirited horse touched by the whip. A spirited horse is called bhadro, which = also auspicious, or lucky (Sīvaka. Cf. Siva). ---- 1.2-4.14 Commentary on the stanza of =Sivakasāmaṇera= 14. The stanza starting with Upajjhāyo constitutes that of the novice Sīvaka. What is the origin? It is said that he was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Vessabhu thirty one aeons (kappa) ago from now. One day, he entered the forest on a certain business and there he saw the Glorius One Vessabhu seated amidst hills, became pious-minded, approached Him, paid Him his homage, and stood with his clasped hands lifted up. Again on having noticed lovely (manohara) kāsumārika fruits, collected them and offered them to the Glorius One. Out of compassion for him, the Blessed One accepted his offering. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and during the dispensation (sāsana) of the Blessed One Kassapa when his uncle renounced the world he became a monk along with him, accumulated much of such good deeds as were conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) and was reborn as the nephew of the Thera Vanavaccha when this Buddha arose. His name was Sāvaka. His mother, on having heard such occurrence that her own eldest brother Vanavaccha had become a monk in the dispensation (sāsana) made himself reach the highest height in monk’s duties and was then living in the forest, spoke to her son thus: “My dear son Sīvaka! You should renounce the world in the presence of the Thera and attend upon the Thera; the Thera is now old.” With but one word of his mother because of the devoted service done by him formerly, he went to the presence of his uncle Thera, renounced the world and lived in the forest attending up on him. When, one day he went to the end of the village, on a certain business there arose in him a violent ailment. Although people gave him medical treatment his ailment did not subside. When he had gone long the Thera said to himself: “The novice had gone long ago; what, indeed, is the matter with him?,” went there, saw him ailing, spent the day-protion doing whatever was fit and proper to be done to his ailing nephew, at night, very early in the morning, said thus:– “O Sīvaka! Beginning from the time I became a monk, I had never before dwelt in a village; let us go to the forset even from here.” On having heard what his uncle had said, Sīvaka replied thus:– “Venerable Sir! Although my body is now stationed in the village, my mind, however, is in the forest; therefore even in a lying posture, I shall go but to the forest.” On having heard what his nephew said, the Thera took him in his arms led him but to the forest and gave him instruction. Having abided by the advice of the Thera, he developed clear insight and attained Arahantship. Therfore it has been said in the Apadāna:– “I saw in the midst of hills, the stainless Buddha, the bull among men, eldest in the world, shining like a Kaṇikāra flower. Pious-minded and good-hearted, I place my clasped hands on my head, collected Kāsumārika fruits and offered them to the most excellent Buddha. Since that time I offered that fruit I do not remember any adversity (duggati) in the thirtyone aeons (kappa) from now; this is the fruitful result of fruit offering. My depravity (kilesa) had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction (sāsana) had been carried out.” Having attained Arahantship, he put together the matter said by his spiritual preceptor (upajjhāya) as well as by himself and uttered a stanza starting with upajjhāyo maṃ avaca in order to make known his own performance of being specially delighted in seclusion and the condition of having done his duty (kicca). 14. There the expression upajjhāyo is to be construed thus:– He reflects upon sinfulness and innocense, and after having brought about his solicitude he sees with his eye of wisdom (ñāṇacakkhu); thus, upajjhāyo (spiritual preceptor). Maṃ means that he spoke of himself. Avaca means he spoke. The expression: Ito gacchāma Sīvaka constitutes the indication of the manner of having been said: “O Sīvaka! Come! Let us go from this village but to (our) forest abode; that even is our suitable residence;” thus,is the meaning. On being told thus, however, by his spiritual preceptor, Sīvaka, like unto a good through-bred horse specially struck with a whiip, became remorseful and uttered this stanza in order to make known his desire to go but to the forest:– “My body lives in the village, my mind has gone to the forest. I go though being laid up; there is no attachment to those who have knowledge.” Its meaning is:– Because now although this body of mine has stationed in the village, my thoughts however have gone but to the forest; therefore, I go though I am laid up; because of my inability in the matter of standing, sitting and walking due to my disease, lying down also, in this manner of being laid up crawling like a creeping creature; Venerable Sir! Come! Let us go but to the forest. Why? Na’tthi saṇgo vijānataṃ, since there is no attachment to anywhere whatsoever, of one who knows the disadvantage in sensual pleasures (kāma) and rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) according to the nature of truth (dhamma) and advantage in renunciation and nibbāna according as they are, therefore, with but one word, he abided by the order given by his spiritual preceptor; he revealed his Arahantship by that indication (padesa). The Commentary on the stanza of the novice Sīvaka is complete. **********oOo********* ----